Movie Review – Independence Day: Resurgence

By all accounts the original ID shouldn’t be as loved as it is. It’s jingoistic, chest-thumping nature and general over the top Americanisms should have annoyed the hell out of us all.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it though. The mixture of Will Smith, iconic imagery and the film’s ability to pull together groups of people into characters we cared about was damn impressive. It didn’t matter where you were from, Bill Pullman’s speech just wanted you to stand crazily to attention! A true event movie, it was always going to be difficult to follow up.

Resurgence proves this and then some.

Without a truly charismatic figure at the front to welcome the aliens to Earth the story lacks any sort of forward drive.

Stuff just happens. For all the destruction on show the entire film is remarkably tension free. Only once did I actually fear for someone and they weren’t even important to the story!

The old characters are wheeled out for some form of reminiscing. Only Brent Spiner’s Okun really livens things up (wasn’t he dead anyway?). New characters add nothing to proceedings. Even worse, female characters seem to spend the film generally whining and waiting to be helped by men.

Ideas wise it’s fantastic; it just doesn’t put any of them to good use.

Back in 1996 there were so many things I thought would be cool to see. More of the aliens (whose design is still very striking), a human race that can stick up for itself with more advanced weaponry. Ground battles and more destruction.

But what do I know? I get all of that and it left me cold. I felt so distanced from it all.

You’d be better off saving your money and just watching your DVD of the original.